Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-30

The promoters Of the clerks early-closlng move
ment had quiet and sober discussion at Hilton
Hall last night OF the ways and means OF Inducing
the closing OF stores ir Washington at O'clock
Between seventy and eighty people We're present.
among them two young women and one colored
man. z. NJ Blake sat at a little table on the plat
form, the shape OF an hour-glass, and hammered
the meeting TO order. The master workman Of
the Clerks Assembly K. OF L., E. W. Hambleton,
In short address, outlined the object OF the meet
ing, and gave some OF his experience as shoe
clerk for sixteen years. He said he had worked as
late as O'Clock in the morning, and he knew tnat
the night trade did not pay the merchant He
dwelt upon the miSerieS Of clerk, hot the least
among which were dtSagreeable customers He
Sa,d that those VINO came in at night were chiefly
such as wanted to bother and not &c Duy. II was,
he said, as much IN the interest OF the merchant
to stand together, and exhorted those who already
had the advantage Of early hours to assist tLJse
who were still struggling for that boon.
Mr. BowEN's ADDRESS.
MI. Paul T. Bowen, master workman of District
Assembly sc, was the next speaker. He said that
hours OF labor should be shortened. He pointed
out the great progress toward early closing Of
work in all the great cities. and declared that 1t
would have to become general. He said that from
a business standpoint 1t Was economy to close
early. The good business men, the large mer-
chants, closed early. It was only the little. one
eye-lids and losing money, who Kept their stores
open Of nights, looking out TO catch a penny.
There were men, he said. who would Sit on the
nifty OF stopping penny. He had lived In the
country, where he had an opportunity to see how
nature, by its laws closed early. Scarcely had
the sun gone down when the plants the birds
and the FOWLS prepared for rest. The OWL the
mink, the fox, and the skunk, and all OF that
% Rhe %@erchsnss that Followed " their e customs sna
should be treated as the skunk 1S--let alone
He said that the object OF certain small shops in
keeping open at night was TO sell grOg behind
their thin boxes OF soap, starch and candles He
held that every one was interested In the early
closing movement, and 1t could be demonstrated
to them. Government clerks, he said, were inter-
ested, and they could be made to understand it.
Either these men got too much pay or the men
employed in the competitive Industries got too
little. He thought the latter was the case, but II
in their struggle for short hours and proper pay,
they could be made, by means OF the ballot to
know that they were not secure and independent.
The merchants, he said, could be reached through
their business, and other citizens through their
interest in humanity and morality. MessrS
August Donath, s. T. BrOckbank, JAS Dev1n, E W.
oyster, and others also made addresses.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
The committee on resolutions, consisting OF E.
W. oyster, e. w. Hambleton, Geo. Bartlett, JOS
Steiner and P. J. Mccullough, reported series Of
resolutions, which were adopted, setting forth
that, "Whereas number OF merchants have failed
to close at O'Clock as per agreement; ana whereas
closes and whereas il has the eject OF working the
clerks until an hour which deprives them OF the
society Of their families and OF time that might be
We as citizens OF the District OF Columbia, pledge
our sympathy and support TO the clerks In their
efforts Tor shorter hours and respectfully recon-
mend that the citizens generally abstain from pur
chasing later than pm, thereby showing their
sympathy for the clerks In their laudible Efforts
improve their condition.